A post questioning the 2011 Ford Explorer's nonexistent off-road capability was all it took to confirm what many of us have suspected — the Raptor notwithstanding, Ford is no longer interested in making a capable off-road vehicle.

I've heard a lot of commenters bitchin', moanin' and complainin' about the Ford Explorer today. You're right, I should go easy on Ford. At least FoMoCo did it on their own without U.S. government loans. Well, mostly anyway. [via NickBunkley]

Here's the all-new 2011 Ford Explorer unveiled today in its natural habitat — outside of Macy's in Manhattan's Herald Square. Mike Rowe was even there. It's a dirty job to reveal a new crossover, but somebody's got to do it.

The 2011 Ford Explorer will be unveiled July 26th at a Mike Rowe-emceed event in midtown Manhattan (outside of Macy's!). That says pretty much everything you need to know about the off-road "capabilities" of the new Explorer.

We've been in a huff about the 2011 Ford Explorer going from body-on-frame SUV to questionably-necessary, Taurus-based crossover. But we've had our thinking backwards. An emasculated Explorer means the possibility of an easily made high-clearance light off-road Taurus SHO! Discuss.

The 2011 Ford Explorer will be built on the same platform as the Ford Taurus. No transfer case acting as the four-wheel-drive system's linchpin. That's not stopping Ford from releasing this teaser shot touting the potential for off-road prowess.

UPDATE: The new 2011 Ford Explorer's been revealed. Take a look at the new crossover here. Times, they are a-changin' and the era of the body-on-frame Explorer is coming to an end. The 2011 Ford Explorer is going car-like, with a unibody frame and front-wheel bias. How do we know? A chatty Chicago assembly worker.

After months of Freestyle-bodied 2011 Ford Explorer mules, we're finally getting a closer look at the shape of the next Explorer. Looks about 90% the size of the current model. It should, considering it shares underpinnings with the Flex. [Autoweek]

A funny thing happens when you ride a motorcycle around Detroit with no particular purpose: You see a lot of things people would rather you not see, like the curious-looking car-based 2011 Ford Explorer we first saw a couple days ago. Having no final destination also gives you the freedom to chase down your quarry and…

The quick shutterbugs at KGP just snapped these first pictures of what appears to be a test mule for the new Ford Explorer running around on a car platform on the streets of Dearborn, MI. We've already reported the next-generation Explorer will be more car-like, something hinted at with the Ford Explorer America…